Second Chance
by SimplyAbstract
Summary: He tried to end it, to stop everything, to rid himself of this sorry existence. But failed in the process, the only thing he had to remember from that night is a note, left from the man who just might have saved his life. But what is life when you've lost the privilege to make your own choices? (light yaoi maybe)


"_Say something, anything!" _

"_Shika, please!" _

_Those were the words he had woken to, in a bed soaked with blood of his own. Atop the sheets he lay, his body pressed against a tall brunettes who hung onto him, his grip tightening around the male's limp shoulders. His arms hung at his sides, both wrists baring a large wound where the blood seeped, spilling atop the fabric, staining the mattress, along with his friend's clothes. And when he turned to focus on the boy, tears met his cheeks, spilling over as he then began to cry. _

"_Don't leave me," The male began, running trembling fingers through his friend's hair, "Please don't leave me." _

_The young boy had smiled then, looking to his friend as his body began to give way. How he wanted to reach out and comfort him, take him into his arms as he had done when they were children and assure him everything was going to be fine, that nothing was going to change. But that was just it, because of this he knew, nothing would ever be the same. He attempted to call out to his friend, to speak words of sympathy, but whatever voice he had slurred against his tongue and whatever noise came out became a jumbled mess. So the young male simply continued to stare as his body began to tremble and shake within the boy's grasp, and the last thing he saw was his friend crying over his body, begging him to stay. _

_Light flooded in through an open window as he slowly woke, yawning into the morning's breeze. His vision was a bit foggy, and his memory exceeded him, but his body hurt tremendously. And the constant beeping only dampened his mood excessively. He looked to the needles that stuck from his arm, their ends connected with a hollow tube that pumped fluids throughout his body, providing him the essentials necessary to survive. They were strung from a tall machine that rested at his bedside, one who beeped every few seconds, ensuring him life, stability. But this only aggravated him, and in an attempt to quiet things, he began to rip the IVs from his skin, throwing the sheets from his bed as he jumped to his feet. _

_With this sudden action he fell to the floor, his knees screaming from the weight suddenly thrust upon them. And that's when the door swung open, nurses rushed in coming to his aide as they guided him back to bed. They ignored his smart remarks, his retaliation and continued on with their holy duties. That was until a taller gentlemen entered the room, clothes in white linens that pooled at his feet. He ushered them out with a smile, and then turned to his patient who sat, seemingly displeased. _

"_Nara, Shikamaru is it?" The older man asked, cupping his masked face as he then looked to the charts, "Nice to see you awake." _

"_Yeah?" He asked, "And what's it to you?" _

"_Quite the stubborn one aren't we?" He began to flip through some papers, his one eye meeting the younger male's gaze, "How's your memory?" _

"_A bit foggy." He confessed, "Why?" _

"_Mr. Nara." The doctor sighed, placing his clipboard onto his lap. With a sincere look he continued to explain himself, "There's no easy way to say this. A few days ago we received a call about an attempted suicide, the male on the other line seemed quite distressed and we of course came as soon as we could. But when we arrived you were out cold on the bed, with a note lying next to your body, yet you were alone. Since your misfortune, we've put out an alert, asking for any family member, any friend, anyone who could have known you to step forward and take you under their care. But several days have passed, and not one person has come to visit you, or stepped a foot in this hospital. And we can't simply let you walk out of here, after attempting a stunt like that." _

_He looked to the doctor in disbelief, how could no one come for him? How could he possibly have no one to call his own? Was his life really so tragic that he honestly had no one to run to, no one to comfort him other than himself? And look where that had gotten him, lying in a hospital bed on the brink of death, over an act so stupid, so dumb. Yet even Death wouldn't come for him. _

"_But the note?" He asked, "Where's the note?" _

"_With your belongings of course." The male answered, "But you might not want them back. We tried our best to scrub those stains from your clothes, we just assumed that you might feel better in something else. Is there something you'd like?" _

"_No." The younger boy whispered, "Just the note." _

_The older male left to retrieve his belongs, and came back with a torn crumpled mess. But even so, he handed it to the boy who looked to the messy writing with a sense of longing. Whoever wrote this cared for him, saved him in some sense of the word. And though he might have left him there, he truly and honestly cared, and Shikamaru knew that. _

"_I'm sorry?" He asked, rereading those same words before looking to the male who simply shrugged, "What's that supposed to mean?" _

"_Who knows?" The male answered, looking again to his clipboard, "Maybe he's sorry for leaving you, or maybe he's sorry for saving you? I guess we'll never know now will we? But about your living arrangements, we've taken the liberty of contacting another hospital, whose sole purpose is to aide those in need, and provide them with a new mental state. They'll care for you as long as you need, and once you feel as if you're ready to continue living on your own, you can simply leave. But you also have to prove to them that you've changed, that these thoughts have gone and you no longer see the light in taking your own life. Do you understand? This isn't a game anymore, it's serious. We'll give them a call, and arrange for them to pick you up in the morning, we'll check in on you, make sure everything is to your liking, we'll help you through this. Just have a little faith." _

"_And if I don't want to go?" _

"_You had a choice and this is where it's gotten you, don't fuck this one up just yet." _


End file.
